Frantic
by Kizzo
Summary: A sudden stream of events causes Sora to forget the past two months of her life. Unable to trust anyone, let alone herself, Sora is forced to team up with undercover agent Tai Kamiya to find out who is framing her for murder, and who she really is.
1. Chapter 1

**Frantic  
-Kizzo**

--

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

This story is loosely based on several books and movies I've watched such as the Bourne Trilogy, novels by James Patterson, Annie Solomon, and Michael Crichton.

Background Info: Tai and Kari are unrelated in this story, as are Matt and T.K. Also, age differences among the characters are different than they are on the show. For example, Izzy is several years older than most of the other characters, and Kari is older as well. The age context should make sense as the story goes on. There are several references to national agencies such as the FBI and the CIA. I have absolutely no idea what actually goes on in these agencies, so any content referring to them is purely fictional. Also, Japan is mentioned quite a few times and since I am not Japanese, I had to improvise. Please forgive and correct me if anything I write about is wrong or not accurate. My only knowledge of the country comes from the animes I watch ^^; I hope you enjoy reading this!

--

His death was quick, but not quick enough. The bullet took care of what the injection left behind. It was surreal, watching him writhe and gasp for life on the floor like that. His eyes stayed open, locking the sheer look of terror and morbid realization permanently in place. What a shame. He had always been so vigilant, so careful. But now, the expression in his dead eyes was a testimony of his mistake. A testimony of what happens when you let your guard down.

**Chapter One**

Her eyes shot open. In her mind echoed the scream that wrenched her awake. What was it? _Who_ was it? She remained still, flat on her back in her queen-size platform bed. Straining to hear past the blood thundering through her ears, she fixed her eyes on the ceiling. Her breathing was uneven, her heart rate fast and jumpy. She brought her eyes down as she ever so quietly brought her head a few inches off her pillow to scan the room.

Street lights seeped through the windows. One by one, she checked off the items in her room. Door closed just as she had left it, bookcase and vanity set sitting silently against the wall, dresser by the closet, armchair in the corner. Clothes folded and resting on the ottoman. She squinted. Her clothes? _Of course my clothes!_ But just to be sure, she switched on the lamp beside her. Light pierced through her eyes all the way to her brain. Wincing, she quickly turned the lamp off. She tossed the blanket aside and gingerly placed her feet on the cool wood floor, using her toes to feel around for her slippers. The clothes on the ottoman were her running clothes and the moment she reached for them she felt a sudden urge to put them on. And as if by some predetermined fate, she saw her tennis shoes on the floor right next to the ottoman fully equipped with socks stuffed inside.

The clock on the bedside table flashed 1:33 A.M. and her first bout of hesitation filtered through. Who went for a run at 1:33 in the morning? But the restless quivers in her legs overpowered her reason. The immediate relief she felt after exchanging her pajamas for shorts and a t-shirt erased all doubt. She left the front door locked and crept out the back door; the cool night air kissing her clammy skin. She hadn't even begun to run yet, so why was she sweating so much? She took off at a steady pace, letting her legs guide her body down the familiar route she always ran. It was automatic. She knew her way around The Village like the back of her hand. The small, forgotten town outside of Arlington, Virginia had a proper name and was technically still part of the bigger city, but to the few who actually lived there, it was affectionately dubbed 'The Village'. A light drizzle suddenly began to dance along the ground, cooling off the heat and sweat emitting from her body as she continued to pump her legs. Down the block, past the fire hydrant and to the left. Four blocks later she could see the beginnings of the local park as the houses dissipated making room for the tall trees and bushy undergrowth.

An unsettled feeling loomed over. Was she being followed? She glanced over her shoulder as she continued to run, but there was no one there. _Of course there's no one there! _ She scolded herself. But the moment she brought her attention back to the path ahead, she saw a crouched figure in the middle of the sidewalk. Too late to stop, she collided with the figure and landed with a thud. But just as soon as she fell, she felt herself spring back onto her feet, keeping her legs bent low and set apart. She whipped around. A man rose to his full height, holding his hands up in surrender. "Sorry." She stared at him, cautiously. He was tall and lean, almost lanky if it hadn't been for the well sculpted muscles that hugged his bones. He was strong, she could tell, but she could take him down if need be. _Whoa, where did _that_ come from?_ "I uh, didn't see you coming," He continued sheepishly. "Guess I'm not the only one crazy enough to go on a run this time of night. You okay?"

"Fine." Sora answered tersely, lifting some of the weight of her legs as she slowly rose. But for some bizarre reason she kept her fists clenched at her sides. She scoped his image with her eyes again, bringing them back to his face when she didn't detect and weapons on him.

He nodded and outstretched a hand. "I'm Tai by the way. Tai Kamiya."

"Sora Takenouchi." She shook is hand, feeling its rough texture against her smooth palm. "What were you doing on the ground?"

He grinned. "I dropped my phone. It's so damn dark I can't see a thing. Would you mind helping me look for it?"

"Sure." She crouched down to the ground, running her hand along the edge of the sidewalk where cement turned to grass.

"You looked kind of scared back there," Tai began, then gave a small laugh. "Thought you were going to sock me in the eye or something. You some kind of warrior princess?"

"Art collector," She answered, and gave a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I own a small gallery downtown. What about yourself?"

"Lawyer."

She brushed her hand against the cool grass when it fell upon something plastic and rectangular. "Found it." She handed him his phone.

"Thanks," He tipped his head, grinning a lop-sided smirk as he rose and offered her a hand as he gently pulled her to her feet. "You need an escort back home?"

"I'm fine thanks. I live just around the corner," She hitched her thumb over shoulder.

"Right," Tai nodded. "No body ever needs an escort. Well, thanks again." He flashed her another smile before continuing his run towards the park.

She watched his form shrink as it got farther and farther away. She suddenly felt exhausted and turned around and jogged back home.

-

Tai hopped the fence when he reached the other end of the park and bolted towards his car. He started the engine and flipped open his cell phone, dialing the number he had committed to memory long before. While the other end rang, he reached into the back seat where he pulled out a small square-shaped GPS tracking device. He switched it on where a map of the area illuminated the screen, a tiny black dot blinked its way down the streets and around a corner. The line stopped ringing, replaced by a smooth, familiar voice. Tai cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder. "Finished." He didn't bother introducing himself.

"So soon? Are you sure it was her?"

"She introduced herself to me," Tai said, watching the GPS screen. The black dot was no longer gliding across the screen. It blinked unmoving in the middle of Kentucky Avenue. "Her face also matches the photos you showed me. It's her."

"Condition?"

He pictured her. Medium-height, and slim; it was easy to tell by those shapely legs that she kept herself in good shape. God, she had incredible legs. Other than that deer-caught-in-headlights look she sported, her face, like her vivaciously colored hair, was quite remarkable. Her photographs did not do her justice. "Fine as far as I could tell."

"No slurred speech? Dizziness? Disorientation?"

"Should there be?"

"Don't ask stupid questions Kamiya."

"I thought there was no such thing. Anyway, her mind was anything but disorientated. She's got uncanny reflexes, almost went for blood when she ran into me."

"Ran into you?"

"I dropped my phone while jogging."

"Clumsy you."

"Don't act like you've never dropped something before, Izzy," Tai scoffed.

Izzy laughed. "I'll keep you in mind the next time I experience butterfingers. In the meantime, keep your eyes out and don't lose track of her."

"Don't intend to." Tai switched off the GPS. "What is this all about anyway? You sent me here two days ago and I still have no clue why."

"Exactly. But you'll know when you have to."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"Meaning do your job well and you won't have to ask."

"Why do you have to be like this?" Tai scowled. This wasn't Izzy's first vague, cryptic, practically indecipherable explanation Tai had received. Far from it.

"Well done Tai, but do me a favor and refrain from calling when it's two in the morning."

"But you said-" Too late. The line disconnected. Tai could picture the satisfied smirk on his boss' face as he tossed his phone down into the passenger's seat. He shifted the car in drive as he steered out into the open streets. Driving slowly through the neighborhood roads, Tai turned onto Kentucky Avenue counting off the houses as he peered out the window. He slowed the car, pausing briefly as he gazed up at one house in particular before zooming off.

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So there's the first part, hope it was readable. Please review! This story is complete and finished; all I'm waiting for is **_reviews_** to upload the rest of the chapters!

^^v


	2. Chapter 2

**Frantic  
-Kizzo**

--A million and one thanks to my lovely reviewers. As promised, here is the second chapter.--

**Chapter Two**

It was either the wretchedly annoying beeps of the alarm clock, or the blindingly painful headache that roused Sora awake. She turned her head, squinted past the intruding sunlight to stare reproachfully at the wailing clock on the bedside table. 9:30 a.m. She bolted upright, big mistake as the fist pounding her brain quickly turned into a jack hammer. She groaned, cradling her head in one hand as she reached and switched the alarm clock off with the other. How could she have slept so late? She always set her alarm to 6:45, hadn't she?

She suddenly felt nauseous and hurled herself to the bathroom where she leaned against the sink waiting for whatever contents were left in her stomach to come shooting out her mouth. But nothing came. Either there was not enough digested material to puke out, or the wave of nausea was a false alarm. She brought her head up and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, a big orange mass on top of her head. Her friends used to joke that her head looked like it was on fire when she woke up, but it wasn't a joke Sora thought as she stared at her image. It was the truth. Her fire extinguisher would be the hair mousse she used to tame the inferno.

The throbbing in her head continued as she reached for her toothbrush. Aspirin. She would take an aspirin after she had breakfast. But the thought of food made her gag. She scoured her mouth clean, stripped out of the running clothes she had fallen asleep in and stepped in the shower. The warm water felt good, easing the jack hammer in her brain to a nice, gentle, regular hammer beating against her head softly. It matched the rhythm of her heart Sora realized, feeling the metronomic pulses of pain ripple through her skull. She reached for her shampoo and glanced at the bottle. Her brand? She popped open the top and sniffed. It didn't smell like the sunflowers and chamomile she remembered shampooing with. No, this smelled like citrus. Tangerines? _How appropriate,_ she thought grimly. Now she could smell like what she looked like. An orange. She eyed the bottle skeptically, but the water was running cold so she had no other choice. She squeezed a dollop of the orange junk and lathered it into her hair. Rinsing it out before too much of the mocking scent could infuse into her locks, Sora reached for a towel and turned the faucet off.

She changed into a brown tweed skirt that danced around her knees, a matching short blazer with a sky blue blouse underneath. She rummaged through her closet, debating between shoes and decided to be sensible as she slipped on a pair of chocolate colored flats. Her watch told her it was past 10 o' clock. She would be late opening the gallery today, but with the her migraine picking up pace, she didn't really care. Rummaging through the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, Sora sighed when she couldn't find any aspirin. There were no pain relievers of any kind in the cabinet. Only some ointment, a few band-aids and a spare toothbrush. Frustrated, she trotted downstairs, grabbed her purse and left the house, double-checking the lock as she shut the front door. Walking briskly down Kentucky Avenue, Sora felt jumpy and tense the whole way to the public bus stop. It was oddly warmer outside than she remembered, and soon broke into a sweat as she reached the bus stop. She slid on a pair of sunglasses as she observed her fellow riders. A man with two kids on his lap, a businesswoman talking fast on her cell phone, an older woman knitting what looked like a sweater, no one threatening, no one harmful. Why would she make an observation like that? She rode the bus a hundred times. She had a car of her own, but rarely drove it since the bus was so much more efficient than wasting gas in mid-morning traffic.

The blue and yellow bus approached shortly, coming to a full stop to let its new passengers on board. Sora sat in an aisle seat, setting her purse down by the window seat to prevent anyone from sitting next to her. She didn't know why, but the thought of close proximity to another person made her feel woozy. Was she becoming claustrophobic? "Mind if I have that seat?" A young man asked, smiling broadly. Confidently.

"No!" Sora snapped, surprising both herself and the man. He scowled and muttered something under his breath as he stalked past. What the heck was wrong with her? When the bus came to her stop at the intersection of Main and Fourth Sora dashed out, heaving in a lungful of air like she was a druggie and oxygen was her cocaine. Her stomach churned, but food was still too risky to test out so she opted for coffee from a nearby cafe. She sipped the hot drink, feeling its warmth sink all the way down to her toes. She walked down Fourth Street and felt her feet stop infront of a newsstand. She found herself staring at the morning headlines. Was there something she needed to know? The back of her mind screamed yes, so she bought not only the first paper she saw, but one copy of every major news journal. _The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal_, they were all there, stacked in her arms as she continued walking toward her gallery. She felt ridiculous, but the compulsion to buy the papers was too strong to resist. She balanced her coffee cup on top of the heaping stack of newspapers as she felt for her key ring in her pocket. She pulled out her keys and juggled through them with her fingers, wondering why on earth she had so many. A voice called out her name. She turned her head to find a pair of young women ambling toward her. One of them had bubble-gum pink hair, the other's was a heliotrope purple.

"Need some help there Sor?" The pink one asked. Her hair wasn't the only thing pink. Everything from her shoes to the patent-leather belt that cinched her small waist was some shade of rose. Her voice was bubbly and hi-pitched, her taupe eyes shining almost as brightly as her perfect smile. Mimi, this was Mimi Tachikawa and her business partner Yolei Inoue. The two young ladies who owned the clothing store adjacent to her gallery. Sora mentally kicked herself. She _knew_ that, so why did she just remind herself?

"What's with all the papers?" Yolei grinned, as she took the coffee off the stack in case it spilled over. "Or are they one of your weird new art pieces?

Sora's eyes darted between the two women, still trying to figure out why they appeared so foreign when she had known them for years. As perky and excited as they could be, Yolei and Mimi were two of her closest friends. She smiled at Yolei's tease, remembering the odd collection or artwork she displayed in her gallery. "Could you give me a hand?"

"Absolutely," Mimi took the keys from Sora and unlocked the doors. "You're a little late today aren't you Sor?"

"I accidentally overslept," Sora admitted, feeling heat rise in her cheeks.

"It happens," Mimi waved a carefree hand in the air. "But then again it's no surprise. Heck, I'd take the day off if I'd just come back from Jamaica!"

"Japan, Mimi," Yolei corrected rolling her eyes. "She went to Japan. Is that why you bought all these papers? To catch up on the times." She asked, turning to Sora.

"Two whole months," Mimi's eyes widened. "That's a lot of time to catch up on. We'll fill you in, don't worry! But you go first!"

Sora stared dumfounded, her eyes going out of focus as Mimi soon morphed into a pink, amoebic blob. She blinked. "What did you say?"

"How was Japan?" Mimi asked in the tone a five-year old might use when begging for candy.

"What?" Sora turned to Yolei.

"Ja-pan," Yolei broke the country into its appropriate syllables. "Your trip. Gosh Sora you were gone for over a month! Why aren't you spilling your beans?"

"I don't have any beans! I didn't go anywhere," Sora frowned.

"Really? But you must have, where have you been for the past two months then?" Mimi asked.

"Yeah, your gallery has been gathering dust!"

Sora stepped away and placed a hand on the edge of a table to steady herself. "I've been here... right here."

Yolei walked to a nearby display case and swiped a finger over the top. A spot of gray dust on the pad of her finger. "Sora, you never leave your pieces covered in dust. The gallery's been closed. You were definitely _not_ here."

"Are you feeling all right?" Mimi asked.

Sora shook her head softly, more in disbelief than in answer to Mimi's question. Her knees began to shiver. She gripped the edge of the table harder, her knuckles turning white. Then she suddenly heard a distant ringing. A telephone?

"It's ours," Mimi said to Yolei as they both gave Sora one last worried look. "Why don't you go home, take the day off?"

Sora shook he ahead more vigorously this time. "I'm fine," she lied.

"Are you sure?" Yolei asked.

"Yes," She somehow managed a smile, reaching for her coffee. "I just need some caffeine."

The two woman nodded and returned the smile as they left. The moment the door to the gallery closed Sora slammed the coffee cup down, unable to choke down any more of the bitter drink. _Two months. _She'd been gone for two months? How could that be? And to Japan of all places, it wasn't like her to just pack up her things and leave the country like that, or was it? She racked her brain trying to remember what on earth had happened in the past month, and why she'd need to go to Japan. She looked around her gallery and the answer came. _Art._ The current pieces in her gallery were all Japanese. She remembered acquiring the works of art and assembling through the room in support for her new theme. She must have been planning to go to Japan to bring back a piece for the collection, so why hadn't she gone? She'd certainly remember a big trip to Japan, so that must mean she never really went. She paced the area behind the cash register, begging her mind to cooperate. She was sweating again. God, why was it so hot? She threw off her blazer and tossed over a chair and resumed her only thing she could recall was dusting off the gallery as she always did, polishing the glass on the display cases and closing up the shop. But that wasn't all. Someone, she couldn't picture who, had made a purchase. She'd sold the red silk kimono, the one she didn't really want to give away. She remembered that!

Feeling reborn Sora hastily unlocked the register and filtered through the sales receipts until she came across the one she needed. The customer had paid with a check for the kimono, and in the top right-hand corner of the small record was the date of purchase. February 5th. Hands shaking, she lunged for the newspapers, turning them towards her as she compared the dates. Her heart immediately sank. She glanced at the receipt then back down to the front page. April 8th. The dates were off by two months. _April? _No wonder it was so warm. It was spring now. She felt her head spin, the pain still throbbing in her brain. She couldn't breathe. She needed air, not this filthy, dust-ridden crap floating around her. She stepped out the back door, where a narrow alley jutted behind the line of stores along Fourth Street, including hers. A stray cat froze and meowed at her before continued its scavenging trail for food along the edge of the street. She leaned her back and head against the brick wall of her building, taking in deep, slow breaths. _Relax, easy, find your happy place..._ Sora repeated her mantra over and over until the weight that sagged her shoulders down lifted and the air around her cooled the skin on her arms, legs and face. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of traffic from the street, that cat's meow as it dug its paw underneath the dumpster and pulled something out. She heard the familiar, piercing sound of Mimi's laughter from the adjacent building, footsteps walking along the cemented sidewalks. But her eyes flew open when she felt movement stir around her. She looked up and down the alley but there was no one there. It must be coming from inside the gallery, she told herself. She leaned against the cool, grainy brick, listening and feeling the motions of footsteps pace through her gallery. The sensations grew in magnitude as she realized whoever was inside was coming closer to the back of the room, closer to her. It might be Mimi or Yolei coming to check on her, but these sounds and footsteps felt heavy. A man's footsteps. Bracing herself, Sora flattened herself against the wall, eyeing the door out of the corner of her eye, waiting.

"Sora?" A voice called out as a big hand pushed back the door. It was a familiar voice, but the recognition came too late as Sora had already pounced and shoved the man's form against the wall, locking his hands behind his back as she pushed her weight into him. "Dammit! 's me! Tai Kamiya, from last night!" He grunted, his speech slightly slurred since his cheek was pressed against the brick wall.

Immediately, Sora loosened her hold and took a step back, breathing heavily. How had she done that? Pinning a full grown man against a wall and locking his arms, she reeled over her actions. When he turned around, her eyes flew up to meet his. Wide and blinking fast.

"Jesus," Tai rubbed his jaw as he straightened his jacket. The suit he wore was a deep navy blue, and now thanks to her, dusted with red and gray brick debris. He brushed himself off before meeting her gaze. "You expecting someone?"

"Sorry," Sora blurted out. "I-I didn't mean to!"

"Sure felt like it," Tai muttered as he rolled his head back.

"Are you all right?" She quickly rushed to his side brushing the remaining dust off his suit.

Her hands were everywhere. On his chest, his back, and just before they could go lower to sweep his pants he caught her wrists and brought her upright. "Whoa. I'm fine."

Sora's eyes were still wide, her mouth open, trying to find words. "What... what are you doing here?" her voice was shaky, her eyes darted checking the alley around them.

"Just wanted to thank you again for helping me out last night," Tai said, watching her suspiciously. "Remind me to never again ask you for a favor in the future though."

"I'm really, really sorry," Sora said, almost pleading. "I don't know what came over me."

"Let's go inside." Tai held the door open for her as she stepped back into the gallery. He was struck by how small, almost fragile she was. She looked so innocent, like a lost child what with those huge, shining eyes. She had amazing eyes. But experience reminded him that looks could be deceiving and most of them were. Take exhibit A here for example, Tai thought as he kept an eye on Sora as he followed her inside. A petite, young and beautiful art collector with the speed and strength of a jet fighter plane. Lethal combination and a recipe for disaster. "Have you eaten anything?"

The question jarred her. She turned to face him. "No."

"That explains why you look like you're about to keel over and pass out any minute," He said as he pulled up a chair and motioned for her to sit. "You're white as a sheet. It's my job to look like that, I'm the one who was assaulted."

"I said I was sorry," Sora frowned slightly. "It's just that, there's been... robberies going around and some of the pieces I own are very expensive and I just thought maybe-"

"I was the bad guy?" Tai filled in. She nodded, hoping he couldn't see through her lie, but figured he must have since the look of skepticism was still etched onto his face. Thankfully, he didn't question her about it. "It's okay, I guess I'm just not used to asking a woman out while I'm pinned against a brick wall getting my ass kicked."

"I didn't kick-"

"Save me the humiliation," Tai cut in, holding a hand up. A slow smirk spread across his lips. "So?"

"So what?"

"Will you let me take you to dinner tonight?"

"Oh." Sora swallowed. Thinking about food was nauseating enough, let alone talking about it. "Sorry, I can't tonight. I'm busy."

Tai caught the lie but didn't push it, just like with the last one. A woman was allowed to have secrets. Up to a point, that is. "I understand, maybe another time then." He kept the suave grin on his face as he made his way to the main door but stopped short when two cops entered the gallery.

--

Make an author's life worthwhile and **_review_**!

^^v


	3. Chapter 3

**Frantic**

-Kizzo

--Once again thank you for the reviews!!

**Chapter Three**

Tai froze in place as he eyed the two law enforcement officials walk into the gallery. One was a uniformed officer, the other was a young man dressed in a black suit, both completely ignoring Tai as they had their eyes set on the woman at the back of the room. "Miss Takenouchi?" The man in the suit began. He was shorter of the two with short, spiky wine-colored hair. The man in blue, Tai noticed, would meet him in the eye if they stood toe-to-toe. He glanced briefly at Tai, eyes narrowing as he remained by the front door, legs apart, hands clasped together in front of him.

"Yes?" Sora's voice was light, purely feminine.

"Detective Davis Motomiya, Arlington PD," the man in the suit introduced himself, outstretching one hand, holding up his badge in the other. "How do you do?"

"Fine," Sora said, shaking the detective's hand. "Can I help you with something?"

"Well I sure hope so." Davis reached into the inside pocket of his blazer and withdrew a folded piece of paper. "You familiar with a man named Izzy Izumi?"

Tai's ears perked. He snapped his head in the direction of Sora and the detective. Of all the things he expected the young investigator to say, Izzy's name was the last.

Sora shook her head. "I've never heard of him. Who is he?"

Tai's brows furrowed. Was she lying? He watched her curiously, but the look of confusion on her face was as good as he'd ever seen. If she was lying, she was damn good at it.

Davis unfolded the piece of paper, which was actually a photograph. Tai used the water cooler as an unspoken excuse to wander over and get a look at what the detective was showing Sora. His heart gave a nervous jolt when his eyes fell on the familiar rust-colored hair and dark eyes of his boss on the square of paper. He'd seen that photograph before. It was the headshot taken back when he received his promotion in the CIA. "You're sure? He doesn't look familiar to you?"

She shook her head again. "Did something happen?"

Davis kept his eyes locked onto Sora, watching for a reaction to what he said next. "He was murdered last night."

Tai almost dropped the small paper cup of water in his hand.

"That's terrible!" Sora gasped, shifting her gaze back unto the photograph.

"You're absolutely sure you don't know this man?" Davis asked again. "He might have been a customer, he was collector of sorts himself."

"I'm positive," Sora said. "I have a record of every customer who made a purchase, I can check it if you'd like."

"Please." Davis nodded as he followed her further back to where the register and sales log were kept.

Tai remained where he was, not sure his feet would be able to support his weight if he tried to walk. Izzy Izumi, dead? Impossible. The man was indestructible, a legend. Back when Tai was a freeloader fresh out of college it had been Izzy who recruited him to be a part of his elite team of agents. He had trained him, drilled him and molded him into the skilled, ruthless, and precise individual he was today. He'd still be mowing people's yards if it hadn't been for Izzy. He was like the older brother Tai never had, and now in the flash of a second he was gone?

Sora flipped through the alphabetical listing of her customers, but came up short. "I'm very sorry Detective, but I honestly have no clue who that man is."

"It's all right," Davis said as he gave a curt nod and began walking back to the front of the shop. "Just trying to cover the details."

"And what exactly would that be?" Tai asked, pushing off the table he was leaning against. His legs felt like jelly, but he pushed past it.

"Excuse me?" Davis turned, facing Tai for the first time.

"What 'detail' brought you here to see Miss Takenouchi?"

"And who are you exactly?" Davis folded his arms over his chest, frowning. The uniformed officer by the door, shifted slightly.

"Her attorney," Tai said before thinking. "Tai Kamiya."

Davis arched a brow. "Her lawyer?" He turned to Sora. "So you were expecting us?"

"No," Tai answered. "I just stopped by to have a word with my client on an unrelated matter. It's alright Sora, I'll take it from here." He said tipping his head in her direction. Sora remained baffled and speechless by the register. He gave her a sharp look as if daring her to challenge him.

Davis looked skeptically between the two before sighing and pulling out a small ziploc bag with a yellow Post-It note inside. He layed it on the table for Tai and Sora to see. There was writing scribbled on the front of the note. _326 Fourth St. Lake Wallace 15:30. _"This is 326 Fourth Street, isn't it?"

"Yes," Sora answered. "Where's Lake Wallace?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," Davis said.

"Where did you find this?" Tai demanded.

"In the victim's wallet. And you're sure you don't know him Miss Takenouchi?" Davis asked again. "He seemed to know about your gallery."

"So what?" Tai shot. "You just said this Mr. Izumi was a collector, he could have easily found this gallery listed in the yellow pages."

Davis ignored him. "Do you by any chance own a gun Miss Takenouchi?"

"A what!?" Sora asked, appalled.

"A gun." Davis repeated, staring intently at the young woman.

"Of course not!" She was clearly offended. "I sell art, not firearms!"

"Was he shot?" Tai asked before he could stop himself. God, Izzy... _dead?_ The words tasted bitter in his mouth.

"You're sure?" Davis continued as if Tai was nonexistent.

"Yes I'm sure!" Sora snapped. "Once again, I'm very sorry Detective, but I have no idea who Mr. Izumi is or what possible interests he has in my gallery."

Davis held a hand up in defeat, "All right, Miss Takenouchi. I appreciate your time, but I may drop by again if something else comes up. Do you have a preferred means of contact?"

She handed him one of her business cards. "It's all there. E-mail, fax, phone numbers. Any of them will work."

"Enjoy your day." Davis placed the card in his pocket as he and the other officer walked out of the gallery.

Sora turned on her heel. "Why did you do that? You're not my lawyer."

"I was just helping-"

"I didn't need any help! I don't even know the guy, I'm innocent."

Tai finished of whatever was left in the paper cup. "You're sure you don't?"

"Yes!" She screamed it out this time, impatience tipping her scales. "What is the big deal? So he had the address of my gallery in his wallet? A lot of people do!"

"Yes, but-"

"You know, as my lawyer, you're doing a pretty sorry job defending me." Sora scowled.

"I thought you didn't me to be your lawyer."

"I don't." She said through gritted teeth.

Just then Mimi's voice rang loudly through as she appeared out of nowhere. "Sora I -oh!" She stopped mid-sentsence when her eyes landed on Tai. "Sorry, didn't know you were with someone."

Sora blinked. "How... how did you get in here?"

Mimi stared at Sora incredulously, "Through the connecting door, silly." She jerked her head in the direction from where she came. At the back of the store on the left hand side was an open door where Sora could see the bright colors of Mimi and Yolei's shop.

Yolei poked her head through the door, "Everything all right?"

"Sora just forgot about the adjoining door," Mimi said.

"How could she forget?" Yolei laughed, but stopped immediately when she saw the bewildered look on Sora's face. "Something's definitely not right."

Sora shook her head, snapping herself out of her momentary lapse. "No, I'm okay. Really! I'm just having a busy morning."

"I can tell," Mimi said slyly, giving Tai the once over as she outstretched a hand. "Mimi Tachikawa from next door."

"Hello Mimi," Tai smiled as he shook her hand and introduced himself to her and Yolei.

"Mr. Kamiya was just going, weren't you?" Sora said, eyeing Tai.

"Don't leave on our behalf! We'll talk later Sora." Mimi smiled and walked back through to her own shop, mouthing 'He's cute!' as she shut the door.

"They seem nice," Tai commented.

"I have things to do." She said tersely as she turned her back on him and walked away to the back of the shop.

Tai didn't need to be told twice to know he was being dismissed. "Nice to see you again, too." He watched her retreat to the back closet before tossing the paper cup in the trash and walking out the door.

Finally. Sora hurried to the door and locked it the moment he left. She flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED, not wanting anymore unexpected visits. She rested against the door, feeling uncomfortably hot. Her eyes fell upon the stack of newspapers, wondering why she felt so compelled to buy them all. She spent the next two hours going through every single page of every single paper, reading everything from the weather reports to the classifieds. But nothing struck a chord. None of the stories produced the "a ha!" moment she was so desperately seeking. Frustrated, she threw the papers to the floor, letting out a cry as she stamped on them.

Why couldn't she remember anything? It was like floating in the Twilight Zone and now, to top everything off, she was a suspect in a murder investigation. _Izumi... Izumi._ She closed her eyes, repeating the name over and over in her head, but it was useless. God, what was wrong with her? The stuffy air of the gallery was suffocating. She had to get out. Grabbing her purse and jacket, she fled, leaving the papers to gather dust on the floor.

--

I feed you, now you**_ feedback_**!

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	4. Chapter 4

Frantic

-Kizzo

* * *

** So sorry for the late update! There was a death in my family so the past few months have been pretty rough, but I'm back online now! A million and one thanks to all who have read and reviewed, words cannot express how much I appreciate them!

*I am also sorry to all you Izzy fans (myself included), killing him off was really hard, but necessary. He's an important character in the story, so he definitely is not lost! Also, Kari and Tai are not related and neither are T.K. and Matt. Kari is in fact older than Tai, but all of this will (hopefully) make sense once you read the chapter ^^

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Tai was speeding but barely spared the odometer a glance as he zoomed up the Jefferson Davis Highway. He bolted the moment he left Sora's gallery; the moment he learned one of his closest friends had died. He flicked open his phone and hit the redial button for the fifth time that evening. And now, making this the sixth, no one answered. Why wasn't Kari picking up her phone? It wasn't like Izzy's secretary to slack off like this. She'd never missed a call in her sixteen years working for Izzy, or so she claimed. So, what was going on? Too many possible answers filled Tai's mind, but it was no matter. He'd be in Quantico in less than five minutes where he could find out for himself. He turned and drove along the curved, evenly paved road that led into the Marine Corps Base. He handed a security guard his ID and passed through the gate once he had been cleared. He knew his presence would be questioned and most likely not welcomed at the FBI Academy, but he had no choice. He needed to find Kari.

Kari Yagami wasn't really a secretary, far from it. She was a highly skilled linguist and analyst for the FBI, who Izzy hired long before she joined the Bureau. Her role with the FBI was just a cover up, just like her role as a secretary. Izzy Izumi was a CIA deviant. His image was too public for him to be considered black ops, but that didn't take away from the severity and elusiveness of his projects. He had men, and women, everywhere. Tai was out to find one of them now. He stopped in front of Kari's office and pressed his ear to the door. He didn't hear anything inside and tried the handle, which he found to be unlocked. The room was empty, or so he thought at first. He heard the sound of papers being shuffled, but couldn't find the source. He stepped inside the small office and using his height to his advantage, noticed a middle-aged woman sitting on the floor behind the desk with a mountain of disheveled files and folders.

Sensing a presence in the room, Kari whipped her head around, weapon drawn. She let out an aggravated breath, "Don't sneak up on me like that, Tai!" She cried as she lowered the gun. Her eyes softened as her heart rate normalized, feeling guilty for her sudden lash. "Sorry."

"My fault." Tai said, closing and locking the door.

"What are you doing here?" Kari asked, keeping her voice low. "If Ken finds out-"

Tai held up a hand to stop her. "Let _me_ worry about Ken. Now tell me what's going on."

Kari turned to face the stack of folders in her lap. "So you heard?"

"Of course I heard, Arlington's local police has even heard about it! Cut the crap Kari, what's going on?" He hated repeating himself. Hopefully she remembered that about him.

She formulated the words in her mind before replying. "He was poisoned."

"_Poisoned?_ I heard he was shot." Tai walked around the desk, crouching low to meet Kari's eyes.

"The bullet wasn't what killed him, at least that was what one of the investigators said." Kari began. "I had an appointment with him yesterday, but I was held up here in the office. He told me it was important and for me to come this morning. I left home at around 7:00 today and drove to mission control but when I got there, he was already dead." Tears welled in her eyes. "I was such an idiot. I panicked Tai, I lost complete control. I should have handled the situation better, but I called 911 instead and turned the control center into a total zoo!"

Tai pulled her into a gentle embrace and squeezed her hand, non-verbally willing her to continue.

"God, I'm so stupid! Izzy trained me from day one not to lose control, but the one time I'm actually in a war zone I turn into the bat out of hell!"

Tai forced her to look him in the eye, "Kari you did nothing wrong. You're not a field agent, Izzy knows that. There's no amount of training that could have ever prepared you for what happened last night."

"But now, like you said, local police are all over this. The media has even set up camp on the scene! Everyone's asking questions Tai, I can't take it!"

"It's okay. No one will find anything of ours there, Izzy was pretty notorious about hiding away the details of his... projects. Just let the crew do their job and investigate the scene. I know it's hard, but you can't run away from this. No one knows you work for Izzy, right?"

Kari shook her head. "I just told them that he needed some tapes translated, that's why I was over there this morning."

"Good. Stick to that story. Izzy was a CIA executive, it's going to be more than local police who'll want to know what happened last night." He glanced down at the papers scattered across the floor. "Why _did_ Izzy want to see you last night anyway?"

"You know I can't tell you that," She replied immediately, but her eyes remained soft. "But I wish I could, then I'd know why too. All he said to me when he called was to come over ASAP. That was it. I came back here after the police dismissed me. I've been going through all of my files trying to figure out what he wanted from me. And knowing Izzy, it could have been anything from weapons logistics to afternoon tea and crumpets."

The corner's of Tai's mouth quirked up, but his expression quickly sobered. "Listen Kari, I don't have a lot of time. Has he received any weird phone calls or unexpected visits? Maybe some recent arguments?"

"You're joking right?" Kari almost laughed. "This is Izzy Izumi we're talking about. Of course there's been some 'recent arguments!'"

Tai realized how stupid his question was. Federal agencies from all sides of the government had bouts with Izzy and his clandestine operations. "I know, but did any of them seem..."

"Foreboding?" Kari filled in. "Nothing struck me as out of the ordinary."

Tai sighed. "I know you're keeping his secrets, and I'm not here to pry them out of you. Izzy gave me a small job to do and I suddenly feel as if it's escalated tenfold. He's left me in one hell of a pickle and I need to know if there's a connection between what happened last night and this assignment he cursed me with."

"I'll tell you what I can."

"Have you ever heard him speak of Sora Takenouchi?"

Kari repeated the name in her mind. "Doesn't ring a bell. I can run a background check on her if you'd like."

"Yeah, that would be great. And one more thing, I need a key to Izzy's house. I know you have one."

Kari sighed. "You're getting into trouble now, I can feel it." She examined him with a tried look in her eyes before rising from the floor as she briefly left the room. She returned with an old silver key and tossed it to him. "Don't drag me down with you."

"Don't plan to," Tai said as he pocketed the small key. "Thanks Kari, and don't lose your cool." He joked.

"Don't plan to... anymore," She added with a small grin. "By the way, whoever was lurking around headquarters last night cut the phone lines in the building. I assumed you tried calling me before you came, but my cell phone couldn't connect to the land lines, the wire has been cut. I notified some of Izzy's tech guys and they'll restore the connection just as soon as they can."

"It'll probably take a while since the whole place is under investigation, but thanks for letting me know."

"You can call my other number, but only if absolutely necessary."

Tai nodded as he waved and left the office. He could hear Ken Ichijouji's voice as he turned a corner and knew there would be nothing the deputy director of the FBI would love more than a showdown, but explanations would have to wait. He had to get out of there, now. Luckily one of the classes just released their students and new in-training agents just before Ken's voice could grow any louder. Tai easily blended in with the crowd and quietly slipped out the doors and into the parking lot where he raced toward his Range Rover. Traffic was beginning to pick up as the clock ticked into rush-hour. 3:30 p.m. The worst possible time to be in a hurry. He swore under his breath as he bypassed a line of school buses, wanting to yell at the stop light when it turned red just as he pulled up. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, too many thoughts swimming through his head. He reached into the glove compartment where he switched on the GPS system and saw that the tiny black dot was heading down Main Street toward Kentucky Avenue. He was about half an hour away from the Village and while he felt guilty for leaving his post, he countered the feeling with thoughts of Izzy's murder. The light turned green and he wasted no hesitation as he sped through the intersection.

Izzy's house was in a small township close to the Pentagon and the Maryland border. Tai had only been there once, when he was first introduced to the man, but that was all it took for the location of the two-story brick building to be ingrained in his mind. That's how everything was with Izzy. One time of anything was usually enough, sometimes even too much. As he entered the city, traffic came to a complete standstill on a bridge over the Potomac River. Tai gazed out the window where he could see the landscape of the city. In the distance red and blue lights flashed, indicating the location of what he and everyone else who worked for Izzy called 'Mission Control'. It was just an ordinary building really. Nothing fancy, nothing hi-tech. But that was the whole point. To the ordinary eye, it would seem like some sort of government building, which it sort of was, but no one would be able to fathom the operations that went on inside those limestone brick walls.

Slowly, the traffic finally begin to move. Tai took the next exit and watched as the the urban dissolved into suburban. Parker Mills was a small, heavily forested neighborhood on the northeast side of Arlington. There were no cars around the house, Tai saw as he purposely parked his Range Rover two blocks away. He stepped over the the yellow police tape and crept around to the back door, taking the risk of being noticed. He didn't have time to be careful. As big as the house was, it looked totally unoccupied. Several rooms were lacking furniture, the walls were bare and the floors dusty. Tai knew Izzy hardly ever came here, he lived in his office more then his home. The only areas of the house that showed signs of previous life were the kitchen and the upstairs bedroom. _What am I doing here?_ he suddenly thought. Izzy would never keep anything of value in his home, it was too risky, which meant any information Tai hoped to find on his assignment would be fruitless. He went up the stairs and pushed open the bedroom door with his shoulder, mindful to keep his fingerprints to himself. The bed was unmade, he noticed as he surveyed the room. Besides a night stand with a lamp and an alarm clock by the bed, the only other other piece of furniture in the room was an old bookcase. It rested along the wall with a number of old textbooks, true-crime novels, and maps and atlases from around the world. Tai sighed. Nothing of any use to him was here, just old remnants of the man he once used to know.

He was about to turn away when a line of framed photographs on the topmost shelf of the bookcase caught his eye. Even at 6' 1", Tai had to crane his neck and roll up onto his toes to get a good look. There were pictures of people Izzy knew and worked with. Many Tai did not recognize, but a few he did. Each photograph was an excerpt of a story Tai would never know. He saw Izzy's smiling face along with Ken's back when they worked together. There was Izzy in a classroom filled with young kids, Izzy shaking hands with the president, Izzy and his deceased wife sipping drinks on the beach. Izzy with his arm around a young girl. Tai froze. He instinctively reached a hand up to bring the picture down, but stopped short when he remembered his fingers were bare and un-gloved. He stared at the photo, stared not at Izzy, but at the young, red-haired, copper-eyed girl. His stomach flipped. _Sora._

_--_

Signed or Anonymous, it doesn't matter who you are, just what you think! Please **_review_**!

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	5. Chapter 5

**Frantic**

**-Kizzo**

**Chapter Five**

It was best not to think and drive at the same time Tai decided. His eyes flashed over the GPS screen, making sure the black dot hadn't moved in the past five minutes. Returning his attention on the road, Tai followed the signs that led through the city and and into the Village. He slowed the car when he reached her neighborhood and pulled into the street behind Kentucky Avenue. There were another string of houses here, though not as big as the ones in front of them. The one Tai would be stopping at was more of a shack. He carefully pulled his car into the small driveway of the house directly behind Sora's and drove it around to the back. Leaving the car in the back yard, Tai quietly opened a fuse box which revealed a keypad. He entered in his code, which unlocked the back door of the small shack. He crept inside the dingy place and aimed for a set of stairs that led into an unfinished basement.

He shrugged off his jacket and loosened his tie as he tossed both of them down by the small suitcase that held his other belongings. From there he walked through a door into the surveillance room. It was more spacious and far more interesting than the foyer where he kept his suitcase. There were lines of live monitors along the counters, tables with audio equipment, headphones, data ports, computers and a giant switchboard filled with all kinds of buttons and knobs. A computer nerd's dreamland. Or a perverted peeping Tom's, Tai thought grimly as he glanced down at the monitor that showed a view of Sora's bedroom.

Her staticky image was seated on the bed staring down at her hands. He noticed she changed into athletic clothes. Was she planning to go running? Again? He certainly hoped not. He was exhausted and the thought of chasing her around town didn't sit well with him. He switched on the other monitors, each showing a different room in the house. It looked as if a tornado had blown through. Every room was ripped apart. Pots and pans littered the kitchen floor, books and magazines strewn all over the floor in the den, cabinets and drawers open in the guest bedrooms, she had obviously been searching for something. He wondered what it could be, but reasoned there would be time later to figure it out. Right now, he had more important things to sort out. Leaving the live feed on in the bedroom, Tai turned toward one of the computers and toggled some buttons on the switchboard. He entered the date and time of the previous evening and waited for the computer to find the footage he wanted to review.

When at last the computer brought up the footage, he took a seat in the black swivel chair and watched as Sora entered her house, sweating and breathing hard from last night's jog. She locked the door and went upstairs to the bedroom. She glanced at herself in the mirror, took a swig from a water bottle and collapsed into bed. The time on the counter read 2:46 A.M. From the corner of his eye, Tai noticed movement on one of the TV monitors. He glanced over and saw Sora rise from the bed and pass into a another monitor where she stopped in the kitchen. She reached for the phone on the wall and began to dial. Tai hit an audio button and slipped on a pair of headphones. Instantly, her voice passed through to his ears. He listened as he returned his attention to the computer screen which still showed her sleeping.

"Hi Yolei," Sora said from the kitchen. "I'm fine, I feel better now that I'm home I guess."

It was a lie, he knew it.

"I just wanted to call and see if any customers had stopped by the gallery.....no? Okay, that's good. Hey listen, this may sound a little weird, but... well I don't know, I guess I haven't been sleeping well, but I went to Japan to find some new art pieces, right?"

_Japan?_ Tai shifted slightly toward the live monitors, trying to keep up with her end of the conversation.

"Right, Thanks." She laughed nervously. "It's okay Yolei, I just need to catch up on some sleep. I'll see you later." She closed the phone and stared down at it.

Perplexed and annoyed Tai hit the fast forward button on the computer. His mind was reeling but he forced himself to remain calm. He had been the last person Izzy talked to last night, so that meant he died sometime between then and when Kari found him at around 7 this morning. Then suddenly, he noticed something strange on the screen. He paused and hit rewind. At 3:50, almost an hour after she had gone to bed, the video image froze, then started back up again, only this time, the counter read 7:53 A.M. Sora was in bed he noticed, but what happened in those missing four hours? Maybe nothing, Tai thought, or maybe everything.

Did Sora Takenouchi kill Izzy? He himself had fallen asleep on the small cot in the room where he kept his suitcase so he had no way of knowing whether she remained in bed or if she had somehow left the house. If she had killed Izzy then it was on his watch, Tai realized. He shuddered. God, now _he_ was to blame for Izzy's murder. He slammed a fist down on the arm rest of his chair, and swore loudly. He stood and pushed the chair away from him as he leaned over the live monitors and noticed one of the wires was loose. After fixing it in place he saw the footage in Sora's bedroom sharpen and produce a clearer image. Had it fallen out of place on its own, or had it been tampered with? He thought back to the missing four hours of video and didn't like the coincidence. Crouching down so he was level with the monitors, Tai watched Sora pace around the kitchen.

He wished he knew more about her but Izzy, as usual, had been purposely vague. "Just check on her" He'd said. "It'll be the easiest assignment you get from me so consider yourself lucky."

Tai almost wanted to laugh out loud. Almost. Rage clenched his air passages, constricting them as he sat back down in the chair and rolled it toward the table of live monitors. He watched Sora, who was now in the living room, as she sat on the floor sorting through the mess she had created there. He studied her, stared at her while she rummaged through her junk. God she was a mess, she looked hysterical. What the hell was she looking for? He couldn't get over how fragile she looked, almost delicate. The familiar sound of his cell phone snapped him away from the monitors. He went out to the main room and pulled out his phone from the pocket of his suit jacket. "Kamiya."

"Tai, it's Kari. I ran that background check on that Sora woman."

"And?"

"Nothing. She's just an ordinary lady. No criminal record, not even a speeding violation."

Tai sighed. "Thanks Kari."

"I'm guessing that's not what you wanted to hear?"

"Nope."

"Well, I'll keep the name in mind in case I hear anything. I'll see you later."

Tai snapped the phone shut. _Ordinary lady my ass._ He hadn't forgotten her reaction to him earlier that morning. The side of his face was still a little raw from being pressed up against the brick wall. He returned back to the surveillance room but noticed Sora was no longer swimming through junk in the living room. He scanned the other monitors but she wasn't in any of the frames. Shit.

---

She ran, pumping her legs like she never had before. She was panting, staggering for breath but she didn't dare stop. All she cared about was putting as much distance between herself and her home as possible. The past few hours had been a living nightmare. She had come home hoping to find answers, but all she discovered were more questions. Nothing in her house explained what happened in the past two months. There were no records of her trip to Japan. No credit card bills, no travel guides, not even a passport. The only things in her house were furniture and clothes. She'd searched the entire place but couldn't find a single document of her life. How could there be no photo albums or address books anywhere in her house?

"Sora!" She came to an abrupt stop at the sound of her name. She looked around, surprised to find herself in the heart of the local park, which was a good two miles from her house. There were many people in the park, but only one of them was looking at her. A young boy jogged up to her, a broad smile spread across his face. "Hey! How was your trip?"

_Oh God._

"It's me, Takato. You're neighbor..." He provided, sensing the hesitation in her face.

She stared at the boy, mentally placing him to be around nine, maybe ten years old. She remembered living next to a young family and their son, and they had a dog! She actually remembered something. "Rags!" She exclaimed. "You have a dog named Rags!"

Takato laughed awkwardly, "Yeah... I do. So, how was your trip? The neighborhood's been kind of empty without you."

"My trip? It was... great! Just great!"

"Cool," Takato smiled. "I'd love to see some pictures if you have them. I've always wanted to go to Japan."

Sora was saved from another lie when a group of boys called Takato over. "I think your friends are looking for you."

"Yeah, we're playing soccer. Well, I guess I'll see you around." Takato turned to leave. "Oh, and welcome home."

She was left with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She walked out of the park where she passed a police officer ticketing illegally parked cars. The officer nodded at her as he tore off a pink ticket, but quickly gave her a second glance just as she strode past. He spoke into the radio on his shoulder quietly, keeping his eye on her retreating back.

She was about three blocks from her house when Sora saw flashes of red and blue lights. A police car pulled up to her as Sora stopped, placing her hands on her hips. "Hello Miss Takenouchi," A brawny cop drawled as he hauling his thick form out the car.

Sora sighed when she saw the officer. At least people knew her now, it was certainly more than she could say of herself. "How can I help you Officer?"

"See? Now this is what I like. Cooperation." He looped his thumbs through the loops on his pants, heaving his belt over his massive gut. "Would you mind comin' into town with me?"

"Is this about Izzy Izumi?"

"Sorry, wouldn't know about that." The police answered as he opened the passenger door. "I just do what they tell me."

"Who's they?"

"Detective Motomiya and company."

Sora nodded, knowing that would be the answer. She ducked into the police car. "Take me away."

--

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